Chapter 10
Santino
“You think you’ll be able to work with them?”
Emilio asks after we grab drinks at the bar. “Can you trust them to honor their end of the deal?”
“They’ve never gone back on their word or a contract before. Their reputation is everything to them, so I’m going to trust them. Besides, I have Mia. They won’t fuck with me if it means something could happen to her or my ability to provide for her.”
“Speaking of Mia…”
Emilio lifts his chin over my shoulder and I turn around, my eyes finding my wife immediately.
Jesus fucking Christ.
Her head is thrown back with a huge smile on her face while she spins with her hands in the air. She clutches her chest and sings out the next line of the song – you’ve got to show me love.
Oh, baby, do I want to show you love.
“She’s fucking hot, San.”
My eyes cut to his. “Shut the fuck up. Don’t look at her like that.”
He laughs and shakes his head. “Are you going to tell every man in here that too? Because look around, brother. You’re not the only one to notice how hot she is and probably wondering where the family has been hiding her.”
“I swear to fucking God, E,”
I grind out, but then look around the room and see all these assholes looking at Mia like he said. The other women she’s dancing with are beautiful too, but none of them are as radiant or awe-inspiring as she is.
“Fuck this.”
I slam my drink down on the bar and weave my way through the tables of guests, all unaware that I’m on the verge of killing any one of them who stares at my wife for longer than they should.
Walking right up to her, I wrap my arm around her middle and pull her against me, her back to my front, and whisper roughly in her ear, “Let’s go outside before I kill every man in here for looking at you the way they are.”
She turns her head so her lips are just an inch from mine. “How are they looking at me?”
“Like they want to steal you away from me.”
“They can look. I doubt you’ll let any of them take me from you.”
The possessive growl that rumbles from deep in my chest is primal and almost inhuman. “No one will ever touch you, farfalla, let alone take you from me.”
She blinks slowly, her eyes turning a molten amber for me. I know she likes my possessiveness even when everything she’s said to me contradicts that. “Let’s go for a walk.” She nods her agreement and I place my hand on her lower back, guiding her towards the doors that lead out to the patio and gardens.
The night air is fresh, with a cool breeze that makes the flowers and grasses around us come alive along the pathway. The music from the dining room fades and the soft classical music coming from the hidden garden speakers replaces it.
“It’s so beautiful out here,”
Mia says softly. “It’s why I wanted to have the wedding here. I fell in love with it from the pictures the planner showed me when I first met with her. I’m lucky there was a cancellation last minute. Otherwise, there’s a very long wait time.”
I smile to myself. “Yes, quite lucky. I like this place, too.”
She stops walking and looks up at me. “You had something to do with it, didn’t you?”
“Yes,”
I tell her honestly. I could deny it, but I want her to know I’ll do anything for her.
Mia tilts her head and studies me, not saying anything for a few seconds. “Thank you.”
I smile and she inhales a sharp breath. “You’re welcome, my bride.”
She turns away and continues to walk along the path, but I don’t miss the small smile she tries to hide.
“I didn’t realize you knew anything that was going on with the wedding,”
Mia says after a minute. “You’ve been quiet for the past two weeks.”
“I told you I would see you at the altar. I wanted you to have the two weeks to plan your dream wedding and knew you might need some space for yourself. But don’t for a second think I don’t care. About this marriage or about you. If you wanted to talk to me, farfalla, all you had to do was call.”
“I don’t have your phone number,”
she says, and I smile.
“That’s an easy fix, sweetheart.”
I reach out and brush the backs of my fingers over her cheek. “You would have talked to me if I called? I assumed you’d ignore me, hang up on me, call me an asshole, or try to tell me how you can’t wait to divorce me. I didn’t want to hear any of that.”
“I probably would have done all of those things.”
“But you still wanted me to call.”
She doesn’t reply, but I see it in her eyes. She’s finally showing me a glimpse of her vulnerability. “I’ll make it up to you.” I glide my fingers down the column of her slender neck and take her hand in mine as we continue to walk down the path.
She doesn’t try to pull her hand out of mine, and after a quiet few minutes, we come around a bend where there’s a small dock with a bench that juts out over the lake in the middle of the gardens.
“Want to sit?”
She nods yes, and the breeze blows, bringing with it a coolness from the water, and Mia shivers. I shrug off my tux’s jacket and drape it around her shoulders when she sits.
“Oh,”
she says, surprised. “Thank you.”
I squeeze her shoulders and lean in to whisper in her ear from behind, “You’re welcome, my bride.”
Another shiver runs through her, but I know it’s not because of the wind this time.
“What deal did you make with my family?”
she asks when I take the spot next to her.
“You really want to know?”
“Am I not allowed to know?”
she asks, her eyes sharp. “Will that be the kind of relationship we have? One where I’m meant to know nothing, keep my mouth shut, stay in the kitchen, and lay on my back to please you?”
“Mia,”
I say with warning, “you’re neither my personal chef, maid, or whore. Get that shit out of your head right now. And as for the business deal, I simply asked if you’d really like to know. There was no hidden meaning or statement in the question. If you want to know about the deal I made, I’ll tell you. I don’t want any secrets between us.”
“Then I’d like to know.”
“Someone is targeting your family. Their trucks, drivers, and shipments have all been under attack for months now, and it’s escaladed recently to where Leo reached out to me for my help.”
“And you’d only provide this help if I married you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Haven’t we covered this already?”
“You’re telling me there’s no other woman you’ve ever met in your life that you would rather marry than an almost 21-year-old inexperienced girl who’s spent most of her teenage years holed up in an apartment with her mother making sure she doesn’t dive off the deep end?”
“What?”
“Which part?”
“The part about making sure your mom doesn’t dive off the deep end? What did you mean by that?”
“Well, as you know, my father was killed by the Cicariellos seven years ago, and after that, my mom lost who she was. After a while, she was able to fake it enough in front of the rest of the family, but never at home with me. She spent days in bed or on the couch, refusing to go out with friends or family, always giving a plausible excuse. I made sure our home was clean, I cooked every meal, food shopped, ran errands, paid our bills, and sometimes I even had to drag her out of bed to make sure she showered and changed her clothes. I finally got her to go see a therapist a few months ago and she’s now on medication, but she still has bad days. It’s not like a cure-all. It certainly hasn’t changed her negative view of me or gave her the ability to see how much I’ve done for her.”
“You missed out on your teenage years to take care of her. You’re an amazing daughter, Mia. Selfless and kind.”
I can’t fault her mother for something she couldn’t control, but Jesus, did she not see that her daughter was putting her life on hold to take care of everything and her? Her young daughter who should’ve been worrying about school and her friends?
Mia doesn’t say anything. She keeps her gaze out on the water.
“I’m sorry, Mia.”
Her honey eyes find mine again and she gives me a sad smile. “Thank you.”
She swallows hard. “And I’m sorry about your dad. I don’t know why you’d want to tie yourself to my family after what they did.”
“My dad did something stupid and paid the price.”
Surprise flashes through her eyes. “He’s still your dad.”
“He knew what would happen by going against Leo and aligning himself with that crazy motherfucker.”
“Who?”
“The Alexsanyan family. Albanians. Hovan wanted retaliation for your family killing his brother and all his men.”
“They’re the ones who shot up Giorgio’s.”
“Yes.”
I nod. “Right after my dad and I left the lunch we had for me to meet Katarina for the first time.”
“Right,”
she grumbles, and the slight pout of her lips makes me smile.
“No need to be jealous, my beautiful bride. I didn’t feel an ounce for her what I feel for you. That was a deal made between our fathers years prior to bring our families together.”
“Kat is beautiful.”
“She is,”
I agree, and Mia’s pout grows. “But beauty doesn’t equal attraction. And baby…” I take her hand and bring it to my lips, placing gentle kisses across her knuckles. Her breath catches. “We both feel this. Don’t deny it. I’m a man who knows what he wants. I’m 34, farfalla. I’ve been with plenty of women and can say with absolute certainty that none of them hold a candle to you.”
“I’m not going to beg for you, Santino,”
she says, lifting her chin defiantly. “I’ve never begged for anything in my life, and I don’t intend on begging a man who’s been with plenty of women and can get any woman he wants. In fact, I think it’ll be you begging me, husband.”
Fuck. Me.
Her sassy, confident attitude is so fucking hot.
“Is that what you’d prefer?”
I ask her, lowering my voice. “If I begged you right now to kiss me? Begged you to take my cock out and lick it from base to tip before sucking me into your hot wet mouth until I come down your throat and coat your insides with me like I’m marking my territory? You want me to beg you to lift your dress up and spread your legs so I can see how wet you are for me, and then beg you for a taste of your sweetness?”
Her throat works around a hard swallow and her lips part as her breathing accelerates.
“Because I can change the rules, farfalla. I’ll beg you for all of that, but then you’ll have to beg for my cock when you realize you need more than my mouth and fingers. You’ll feel an ache deep inside you that only my cock can reach when I’m stretching you and filling you as far and as much as you can take.”
Mia’s eyes glaze over. “So, tell me, do you want me to change the rules?”
She nods her head without hesitation and I grin triumphantly.
“Then let me kiss you, Mia. I need to taste your sweet lips again like I need my next breath. I’ll go fucking mad if I don’t kiss you right now.”
Her lips tilt up in a sly little grin like this was her plan all along.
“Please,”
I add, and her grin widens.
“Well, since you begged so nicely…”
I cup the side of her neck and run my thumb along her jawline, coaxing her to lean into my touch as her eyelids flutter closed. I slowly lean in, touching my forehead to hers and gliding my nose down the bridge of hers, loving the hitch in her breath as I tease her.
I plant soft kisses to each of her cheeks and hover my lips above hers, ever so softly kissing the corners of her mouth.
“I thought you wanted to kiss me?”
she asks desperately, and I chuckle.
“I do. Badly. But I thought you might need a warm-up.”
“I don’t,”
Mia says urgently, grabbing the back of my neck and pulling me to her lips. She kisses me with as much passion as I feel and I couldn’t feel more fucking free or high knowing she’s kissing me.
I let her have control for about five seconds before I take over and take from her everything I begged for.
I sweep my tongue across her lips and she grants me access, meeting my tongue with hers. We both groan on contact and I suck her tongue between my lips, her sweet resounding moan making my dick throb.
I nibble on Mia’s bottom lip and then her upper lip, basking in the moans and sighs leaving her and going straight into my mouth for my hungry consumption. I could live off her pleasure like the fucking fiend for her I am.
She grips my hair and fuses her lips to mine, ensuring I give her exactly what she wants, and fuck me, a greedy and eager Mia is definitely going to be my undoing in this life and the next.
But then Mia pulls back, panting. “We should get back.”
Our ragged breaths fill the air between us before she adds, “Shouldn’t we?”
“It’s our wedding. We can do whatever we want.”
“Then we should get back.”
I don’t miss the tinge of regret in her decision, but I don’t want to push her too far, too soon. We have plenty of time. Besides, I plan on begging her for another kiss later when we’re finally alone at home. A chance to kiss her everywhere.